Bankstream NZ Rowing Champs begin tomorrow
The 2016 Bankstream New Zealand Rowing Championships start at Lake Karapiro, tomorrow (16 February) with New Zealand’s club and elite rowers lining up to race for national honours.
This year's Championships will have 874 rowers representing 49 organisations in 72 boat classes. Heats and repechages occupy the first three days of the Bankstream New Zealand Rowing Championships, and finals are split over Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
Racing begins bright and early tomorrow morning with 118 races at 5 minute intervals throughout the day. The women’s club quadruple scull heats kick off the regatta at 7:30am with the last race of the day set for 5:35pm when the men’s premier eights will race for lane honours for the final on Saturday.
There will be a host of New Zealand’s top athletes including elite and under-23 world champions, which will highlight the New Zealand Rowing Championships regatta. New Zealand’s top rowers will compete in the Premier, U22 and U20 grades representing their Regional Performance Centre’s (RPCs).
Rowing New Zealand selectors are expecting some world-class performances at this regatta across all the boat classes. The Bankstream New Zealand Rowing Championships provide selectors the opportunity to identify future talent in New Zealand rowing. At the conclusion of the Championships selectors will name rowers who are invited to trial for the elite and under-23 team.
Rowing New Zealand High Performance Director Alan Cotter said, “This is a huge year for Rowing New Zealand as the Olympic Games are the pinnacle of our sport. We have already qualified nine crews for Rio and are excited about their prospects. This will be the largest New Zealand Olympic rowing team to date with the possibility of more crews qualifying at the final qualification regatta in May. The National Championships provides selectors with a final opportunity to spot talented rowers for the elite and under-23 trials.”
Rowing New Zealand plans to take qualified crews to the upcoming World Cup events in Lucerne, Switzerland and Poznan, Poland and following that, the Rio Olympic Games from 6 – 14 August in Brazil. A number of New Zealand crews will attempt to qualify at the final Olympic Qualification Regatta in Lucerne from 22 – 25 May.
Elite and Under-23 trialists will be named on Sunday 21 February, with the Elite trial occurring at Lake Karapiro from 27 February - 4 March and the Under 23 trial from the 15 - 20 April. Crews to attend the Rio Olympic Games and the final Olympic Qualification Regatta will be named on Friday 4 March.
To see the day sheet for Tuesday 16 February (Day 1) of the 2016 Bankstream New Zealand Rowing Championships: http://www.rowit.co.nz/nzcc2016/daysheet
For results from the 2016 Bankstream New Zealand Rowing Championships: http://www.rowit.co.nz/nzcc2016/results